June 14,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
479 
Jlr, A. J. Rowberry wa? first, as also was he in the class for six sprays 
■of rayless varieties of the Violetta section. 
Mr. D. B. Crane staved a stand of Violas not for competition, as also 
did Mr. S. Pye and Messrs. W. Paul & Co. sent a splendid collection of 
Pansies. The prize for the best Pansy in the Show was awarded to 
Mr. M. Campbell with an almost faultless example of John Allan. 
BONGARDIA RAUWOLFI. 
This berberidaceous plant is a native of Greece, Syria, Persia, 
Afghanistan, and south to Scind. Its specific name is after Rauwolf, who 
as long ago as 1573 called attention to it as the true Chrysogonum of 
Dioscorides. Its synonyms are B. chrysogonium and B. Olivieri. It is 
not at all like a Berberry in habit, resembling much more strongly in 
the golden jellow of its fiowers and the general appearance of the 
inflorescence a meadow Buttercup. This resemblance is carried to the 
point of mimicry in presence of a gland or honey pit at the base of each 
petal. The leaves and flower stems spring from the upper part of the 
tuber-like underground rootstock, which in Persia has economic uses, 
being boiled or roasted as articles of food. The pinnately divided 
leaves, which in their turn are used as a salad, spring in a graceful 
arching rosette on all sides of the flower peduncles. Some are pinnate, 
in others the lower or basal pinnse are each divided to the base into 
two, giving the aspect of whorls of leaflets round the common petiole. 
The flower stalks are slightly branched, the petals variable In number> 
with the stamens opposite and equal in number to the petals. The 
graceful habit and clear bright colour should make this an acceptable 
addition to rockery and border collections. The illustration (fig. 78) 
has been prepared from a sketch of a plant growing in the Royal 
Gardens, Kew. 
AN INSECT SNAPPER—WHAT NEXT ? 
I SEND herewith an “ insect snapper,” an invention I have lately 
patented, and a description of which will doubtless interest many of 
your readers. It is for catching such insects as cockroaches, wasps, 
bees, moths, spiders, and meat flies, and comprises a box about 5 inches 
by 1^ inch by IJ inch, with a door hinged at one end of the box, and 
closed by a spring. It has a handle about a foot long, and the door is 
opened by pulling with the forefinger a wire trigger on a rod, one end 
of which rod slides on the handle, the other end being attached to the 
door. 
To catch an insect crawling on the floor, wall, or window-pane, the 
snapper is held in one hand by the handle, the forefinger pulling back 
the trigger, which opens the door ; the snapper is then placed flat on 
the surface, on which the insect is crawling, and slid forward until the 
insect is in the space between the door and the box, when the trigger 
Being released the door closes, sweeping the insect into the box. Cock- 
Toaches thus caught may be dropped into a fire, into water, or otherwise 
disposed of, thus avoiding the unsightly features connected with killing 
them on the wall, floor, or carpet of a room. Wasps and bees when 
crawling, say on a window-pane, may be caught without risk and 
turned out of doors, or if preferred the closed box can be held in the 
hand and shaken smartly until the enclosed insect is so stunned that it 
may be dropped out without danger and billed. A small brush attached 
to the outside of the box is to sweep an insect out of a cnrner. 
In catching cockroaches the snapper has proved thoroughly efScient, 
and bee-keepers who are annoyed by their bees coming into sifting- 
rooms will find this a handy way of turning them out of doors uninjured. 
The snapper is not yet on the market, but I expect shortly to place it 
before the public.—W. 0. Sheppabd. 
[Oar printer’s devil has done no work since the snapper came to 
hand, but has spent his time in brushing spiders out of corners and 
searching for flies on the walls, to indulge in the pleasure of snapping 
them up.I 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
June 12th. 
As was generally expected the Drill Hall, James Street, S.W., pre¬ 
sented a bright appearance on this occasion, the large building being 
"Well filled. Greenhouse and hardy flowers were extensively exhibited, 
■the same also applying to Orchids. In conjuncGon with this meeting 
the London Pan-y and the Southern Pink Societies held their respective 
Exhibitions, reports of which are published elsewhere in this issue. 
Fbuit Committee. —Present: P. Crowley, E.q. (in the chair) ; 
with Rev. W. Wilks, Dr. Hogg, and Messrs. John Lee, T. F. Rivers, 
G. Bunyard, Harrison Weir, J. Cheal, G. Taber, J. T. Saltmarsh. C. Ross, 
G. Siige, J. Hudson. A. Dean, H. Balderson, F. Q. Lane, J. Smith, 
G. Norman, and E. Gilman. 
Evidence was not wanting of the beginning of the Melon season, and 
having in mind the experience of last year, some members of the Com¬ 
mittee appeared to nerve themselves for the effort of tasting and 
grinning or turning up their noses. Such an ordeal they were not 
called upon to undergo on the present occasion, as only about one fruit 
out of ten was decidedly “ nasty,” while nine out of ten were so last 
season. Their condition was attributed mainly to the excessive heat, 
and the consequent lack of nourishment. This year the want of sun no 
doubt affected the Melons, as most of them were a little watery, but on 
the whole the fruits were much better than those of last year—a practical 
lesson on the evils of the “ drying and roasting system ” that is too 
often practised when opportunity affords in Melon culture. 
The first Melons placed on the table last Tuesday were handsome 
fruits from Mr. S. Mortimer, Rowledge, a new variety named Empress, 
parentage Eclipse and Imperial Green Flesh. Fruit, large, oval, and well 
netted, flesh green, thick, juicy, but a little watery and well flavoured. 
Fia. 78.—BONGAEDIA EAUWOLFI. 
An award of merit was granted, and a desire expressed to see the variety 
again, when the fruits might be expected to ripen under more favourable 
climatic conditions. 
Mr. A. Bishop, gardener to R. Burrell, Esq., Westley Hall, Bury 
St. Edmunds, sent a very large wall-netted Melon, the result of a cross 
between High Cross Hybrid and Westley Hall, the flesh a mixture of 
green and scarlet, very juicy and sweet, and it was thought the flavour 
would be better if the fruits were ripened under better conditions. The 
specimen was not by any means ripe to the rind, and a desire was 
expressed to see this promising variety again. 
Mr. G. Wythes sent a small fruit of a new Melon from Beauty of 
Syon and Hero of Isleworth, very sweet and pleasant. The same may 
be said about a new Melon named Lord Howard, exhibited by Mr. B. 
